Happy New Year!

Is it anyone else’s pet peeve when people say “Happy New Years” instead of “Happy New Year”? It’s a silly think to be peeved about, but I can’t help it.

Towards the end of last year, I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish before January 1st so that I could walk into 2023 feeling like I truly had a fresh start. Some of those things were sorting through my plastic bins and cleaning my desk. I’m happy to say that I was able to complete all of the tasks that made my life feel chaotic. I finished my desk on New Year’s eve, but it was done before January 1, so it counts.

I had high hopes of starting my year off kicking my phone addiction in the butt. I made a list of alternative things I could do to keep me from scrolling endlessly through posts that really don’t matter to me. My spirits were high. Then, on New Years Day I woke up with a tickle in my throat. I didn’t think a whole lot of it. Josh was feeling a bit under the weather a few days previously, but he was mostly over it. I went to the gym, knowing that I was going to my friend’s birthday party later. As I got in my car and headed to the party, Josh sent me a picture of a positive Covid-19 test.

Shit.

I turned around and headed back home. The tickle in my throat was likely a little more. Pretty swiftly, all intentions of staying off my phone were abandoned. My energy levels were in the toilet. The first few days were fine, but on day 3 or 4 it started to really kick me in the butt. I was having some trouble breathing, but mostly it was just a lot of coughing, sneezing, congestion, body aches, and extreme fatigue.

It was a double edged sword. I had planned to work a lot that week since it was my last week before school started. I really needed the money. The entire month of December was rough for me financially. School puts a hamper on my ability to work as much as I’d like, and it’s important to capitalize on my school breaks to acquire as many hours as possible. With that out the window, I had to accept my fate. The positive side was twofold. 1) Extremely rare days off with Josh. With our schedules being opposites, I am lucky to get a day and a half per week with him. Suddenly, we had a 5 day weekend together. Granted, we were sick the whole time, but the extra time together was sweet. 2) I got sick the week before school started, and it was just in time that I could quarantine for my five days and still make it to my first week of classes. It would have been so discouraging to miss my first week back to school, not to mention it would set me behind.

Thankfully, both Josh and I were feeling better about 4 days after the initial onsets. We were still having some problems with our energy levels, but I am a big advocate for rest, so we were taking advantage of that.

And speaking of school, what a whirlwind it has been. This year, I’m taking three nursing courses. I’m studying OB, which is essentially all things pregnancy and babies. In Med-Surg two, we’re kicking it off strong with learning heart rhythms, which is proving to be tricky for me. In my research class, the focus is on evidence based practice in nursing. It’s a lot of technical language that essentially means using the best current research to improve current medical practices. Outside of nursing, I’m continuing to do an internship in English. My school has it’s own journal where students’ work is published. I’m working alongside a team of other interns to create this year’s volume. It’s been fun, but it’s been busy. I can’t imagine how overwhelmed I would be if I had missed the first week of classes. I attended, and I already am feeling so behind.

The good news is, I think I’ve found a system that works for me.

1. Skim through all readings, powerpoints, and watch all videos before class.
2. Attend lecture and take thorough notes.
3. After class, review all notes and make a list of concepts that are unclear.
4. Take unclear concepts and find resources such as YouTube videos to help understand.
5. Put all medications in a template that focuses on their class, action, use, side effects, and what nurses need to know about it.
6. Rinse and repeat.

The main problem I’m facing so far this semester is how much of the material it’s expected that we teach ourselves. I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, but it is much more demanding of my time than last semester. In my last classes, I was able to pretty much show up to lecture, pay attention, then review the material before exams, and that was enough for me to do well. I’m not sure that will be the case this semester. I find the material interesting and important, but the concepts are hard to grasp. I’m excited to see how this challenging semester will shape me.

All in all, 2023 has begun in full swing. I wasn’t prepared to be sick, and I wasn’t totally prepared for school to be so chaotic, but I think I’m thriving. I’m 21 days into the new year, and I feel good. I think the changes I made at the end of 2022 were really instrumental in me feeling this way, however. My desk is now a place where I can sit down at any time and write, study, or conduct Zoom meetings. Last year, to do any of those things, I would first have to throw all of the clutter from my desk onto the floor so I had room to work. I’ve made a very conscious effort to not allow my desk to accumulate things that do not belong on it. Every night, before I sleep, I put everything from my desk where they belong. It’s made a world of difference in my ability to be productive with school especially.

I haven’t managed to kick my phone addiction quite yet, but since returning to school, I have been spending a lot less time mindlessly scrolling. I’ve adapted a study method where I set timers to be productive. Only once the timer goes off can I glance at my phone, and even then, it’s only for a few minutes before I need to get back to studying. I’m hopeful that the end is nearing for me being such a zombie on my phone.

I hope your new year has started out strong. I hope you’re thriving. I hope you’re holding on to the fact that spring will be here in 58 days. I hope you’ve managed to use the new year momentum to make a tiny change in your life that makes a difference.

Until next time ~